Refrigerator shelf



L. W. JOHNSON REFRIGERATOR SHELF March 1, 1938.

Filed April 27, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY.

'Marh l, 1938. L. w. JoHNscN 2,109,999

REFRIGERATOR SHELF Fiied April 27,. 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. L y /e W Johnson A TTORNE Y.

Patented Mar. l, 1938 PATENT oFFicE REFRIGERATOR SHELF Lyle W. Johnson, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Gamble Stores Incorporated, Minneapolis,

Minn., a corporation Application April 27,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to shelving structure for refrigerators and the primary object is to provide a refrigerator, otherwise of conventional design and of the type which' is generally rectangular in cross section, with a shelf which includes a circular portion that is rotatable about a vertical axis so as to increase accessibility to articles within the refrigerator and permit maximum utilization of the storage space. A further object is to provide a rotary shelf construction that is particularly designed for use in the rectangular type of box, thus utilizing the advantages which this design has over the cylindrical type, and without sacrificing-shelf space at the areas where the shelf structure does not permit of rotation..

A further object is to provide a rectangular refrigerator shelf with a portion that is rotatable but which portion has its upper surface flush with the supporting surface' 'of the remaining or adjacent shelf portion so that the shelf will have as much unobstructed area as a plain shelf, and which condition will also permit articles to be moved or pushed horizontally onto and off of the movable part with respect to the stationary portion. A further object is to provide a refrigerator shelf with a rotary portion which occupies a minimum amount of space, and is supported and designed in a novel, efficient, and practical 'mannen 'I'hese and still other and more specie objects will be disclosed in the course of the following specification reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is across sectional plan view through [a refrigerator having a shelf construction em bodying my invention. y

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the shelf as shown in Fig. 1, but removed from the box, and with the rotary portion of the shelf partly turned on its vertical axis, and having fragmentary portions broken away. p

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan view of a portion of the shelf, with various parts removed. Fig. 4 is an enlarged end elevation of the shelf,

r as seen from the left side in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section, on line 5 5 inI Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a front edge elevation of the shelf.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail section on line 1--1 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings more particularly and by reference characters 8 designates the side Walls, 9 the back wall, and I0 the door of airefrigerator which may be of any suitable construction, and these parts are all insulated to preof Delaware 1937, serial'No. 199,141 (c1. 211-152) clude or retard the transmission of heat as is well known in the art.

My improved shelf comprises a rigid rectangular frame I I, which is removably placed in the refrigerator, through the door opening, and is supported by pegs I2 which project inwardly from the side walls 8 and' are releasably engaged by fingers I3 and I4 at the ends of the frame, to hold the frame in proper position. l covered with small ,rubber sleeves 'so that the lingers will frictionally and releasably retain the frame in proper position.

The fra-me further includes a circular wire ring I5, disposed at one side of the frame, and this ring is connected to the, frame by varying lengths of connecting bars or wires I6. Similar wires Il connect the front and rear bars of the frame, at one side of the ring I5, and a cross bar I8 extends under the wires I1 to connect the ring I5 to the right hand side bar of the frame. A pair of downwardly offset spaced bars I9 extend under and connect front and rear points of the ring I5 to support the rotatable shelf unit as will presently be described. All of the bars or Wires II, I5, I6, I1, I8 and I9 are spot'welded, brazed, or otherwise rigidly secured together at all points of contact so that they will be united in and comprise an integral `rigid structure. It may here also be noted that the members I6 and I'l are all disposed in a common plane and are preferably of flattened Wire or strap metal bars, so as to present better supporting surface to the articles placed on the shelf. These members (I6 and I'I) are also preferably placed and secured overor on top of the parts Il, I5 and I8, and extend from front to back so that articles may be freely and conveniently moved in and out, in sliding Contact with the shelf, and without having obstructing contact with other parts of the structure.

The rotatable portion of the shelf comprises a ring 20 across which extend parallel cross bars 2l of a character similar to members I6 and I'I. The ring 20 is spaced concentrically within the ring I5 so as to have freedom for rotation therewithin, and is supported in such manner that the supporting surface of the bars 2l will be horizontally flush with that of the bars lI6 and I'l.

The bars 2| whichl traverse the more central portiorrof the unit 20-2I extend over and are secured to a rotatable disc or plate 22. This plate is supported by a somewhat similar coaxial plate 23, which, however, is stationary or nonrotatable` and is carried by and secured to the support bars I9. The two plates are rotatably The pegs I2 are preferably connected or secured by a central pivot pin or bolt 24 which also extends through a spacer washer 25 between the plates.

The plate 23 is upwardly dished (Fig. 5) and has a peripheral flange which rests on and is secured to the bars I9. This plate is provided, near its outer edge, with an annular groove 26 in which rest ball bearings 21 that rotatably engage and support the plate 22. The ball bearings are retained in proper peripherally spaced positions by a fiat retention ring 28, which is loosely disposed between the two plates 22 and 23 so that it can rotate freely with the balls about the axis of pin 24. The ring is preferably provided with' a series of peripherally spaced bosses 29, one near each bearing hole and these bosses have for their purpose to retain the ring in proper operative position upon the surface of plate 23, without, however, interfering with the bearing and supporting contact of the bearings `with the under Ysurface of plate 22.

The construction of the shelf,as above described, is such that the rotating portion is present and fully operative without in any way occupying appreciably more storage space than in a solid shelf; and the fact that the supporting surfaces of the rotating and stationary shelf portions are flush with each other is also a substantial advantage in that articles may be moved from one to the other without being lifted. Nor is the supporting space or area in any way more restricted than in a plain rectangular, shelf as all parts of the shelf, even including the corner areas adjacent the rotary portion, are available and accessible for use in that capacity.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the design and structure of the shelf, as herein disclosed, without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully shown and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A refrigerator shelf comprising a reticulated stationary frame having means presenting a horizontal supporting surface with a circular opening therein, ay circular support mounted for rotation in said opening and having an upper surface disposed in a plane substantially flush with the supporting surface of the frame, a pair of superposed circular concentric members, the lower one carried by the frame, under the circular support, and the upper one secured to the support over the lower member, bearing balls disposed between the .concentric members, and an annularly extending perforated ring disposed. between the members to 'peripherally space the bearing balls, one of said concentric members having an annular groove in which the bearing balls may engage, and said perforatedring being provided with means for spacing itself from the other concentric member.-

2. A refrigerator shelf comprising a stationary portion having a circular 'opening defined by a rigidly supported ring, parallel support bars extended as chords to the annular ring and secured at their ends to the ring, the said support bars being disposed below the plane of the shelf as a Iwhole, an upwardly dished supporting plate secured rigidly to the supportlbars and having an annularperipheral ball race groove, a plate pivotally mounted on. and above the supporting plate butspaced below the level of the upper surface of the shelf, bars secured across the upper face of the upper plate and supported thereby flush with .the upper surface of the shelf, a ring secured beneath the ends of the last named bars and supported thereby to rotate within the ring rigidly supported by the shelf, balls mounted in the ball race groove in the supporting plate to rotatably support the said upper plate, a perforated ring peripherally spacing the said balls and the said ring having upwardly pressed bosses for 'supporting the ring in spaced relation between the plates.

LYLE W. JOHNSON. 

